2021 AFDO Food Retailer Large Brand Survey
This page features deidentified raw data from the survey as well as presentations and publications about the survey.
Purpose Statement
Researchers have suggested that an organization’s food safety culture should incorporate its Food Safety Management System (FSMS). Although scholars and practitioners have proposed comprehensive frameworks and tools to understand and define food safety culture, few studies have been conducted in the U.S. to understand the state of food safety culture and FSMS currently practiced among the nation’s leading brands.
The purpose of this study, as outlined in the Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaborative Action Plan, was to understand the current state of food safety culture among U.S. food establishments, including restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores (C-stores). In addition, the study investigates the current state of FSMS, including the practice of Active Managerial Control (AMC). The findings provide a glimpse into best practices among the nation’s leading brands and reveal opportunities to improve both food safety culture and FSMS. The potential may even exist for expanding the definitions of food safety culture itself.
Survey Methodology
In development and testing of an online survey, measures were taken to minimize unintended bias and pilot testing was conducted. Senior corporate or franchise food safety professionals (directors, vice presidents, and senior vice presidents) and owner/operators with responsibilities including food safety were invited to complete the Survey Monkey survey anonymously.
The survey was distributed in two installments. The first included questions about food safety culture and management practices, and the second featured questions on AMC and FSMS. Collaborations with industry associations (including the National Restaurant Association, the National Retail Federation Food Safety Task Force, the National Association of Convenience Stores, and Food Marketing Institute) resulted in an estimated sample size of 538, of which 209 were from restaurants, 168 from groceries, and 161 from C-stores. A total of 76 responses were collected in Installment 1 (33 restaurant, 19 grocery, 20 C-store, and four other) and 42 responses in Installment 2 (16 restaurant, 14 grocery, 11 C-store, and 1 other.)
This research was conducted as part of the Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaborative and was supported by the FDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (Federal Award Identification U18FD007051) totaling $1,000,000.
Data and Survey Instrument
- 2021 Food Retailer Large Brands Survey Descriptive Statistics Report
- 2021 AFDO Food Retail Large Brands Survey – Deidentified Data
- Survey Instruments
Presentations Featuring the Data
Publications Featuring the Data